Nut-machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

J. LOWRY.

Nut Machine. A No. 241,872. Patented May 24,1881.

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(No Mom :1.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

'- J. LOWRY.

Nut Machine.

No. 241,872. Patented May 24,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

JAMES LOWRY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

NUT-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,872, dated'May 24, 1881.

Application filed February 16, 1881.

To all whom it, may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES LOWRY, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Nut-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to'be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved nut-machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the die-box and frame. Fig.4isa front elevation of the same, showing the manner in which the die-box is formed and fastened in the frame. Fig. 5 is a sectional view, showing the relative position of the die-box, front and inner dies, movable cutter, and punch. Fig. 6

. is a plan view of my improved nut-machine, in

which aportion of themechanism is not shown. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the die-box and frame for the manufacture of hexagonal nuts. Fig. 8 is a sectional view, showing the relative position of the die-box, front and inner dies, cutters, feed-guide, and punch for themanufacture of hexagonal nuts, the stationary cutter being drawn back to show more clearly the construction of the parts. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the feed-guide and cutter used in the manufacture of hexagonal nuts.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur. 1

My invention relates to that class of ,machines known as hot-pressed-nut machines.

The principal parts of these machines as usually constructed are a front and an inner die, between which the hot iron is pressed in a die-box, so as to form the nut flat on one side and rounded on the other or washer side, the face of the. inner die being concave for that purpose, and a punch moving through the center of the inner or washer die, which punches the hole in the nut. The operation of these parts is as follows The heated bar of iron is fedbeforetheopeningofthe die-box. Thefront die, which has a plain face, advances, cuts a blank from the bar, and forces it into the diebox and presses it against the inner or washer die. At the same time the punch advances through the inner die and punches a hole (No model.)

through the center of the nut which has been formedin the die-box. The front die then retires and the washer-die advances sufficiently to force the nut out of the die-box. Most, if not all, of the nuts formed in the manner described have a fin or flash formed on the plain side of the nut. This is caused by the front die in cutting and forcing the blank into the die-box. This fin must be removed from the nut before it can be used, and to accomplish this each nut is ground on a wheel, which removes the fin and makes the face or bottom of the not smooth but this involves labor and expense, besides being a waste of the iron which forms the tin. This tin or flash occurs on all kinds of nuts, whether square or hexagonal;

but in the manufacture ofhexagonal nuts there is another source of waste of the iron, as, the

shape of the nut not corresponding with the square bar of iron, about one-third of the bar is wasted or reduced to scrap.

The object ofmyinvention is to obviate these objectionable features in the manufacture of hot-pressed nuts; and it relates to that class of machinery adapted to form the nut without fin on the plain or bottom face of the same, and by means of which machine hexagonal nuts may be formed from round iron, thereby lessening the waste of the material.

I will now describe my invention, so that others skilled in the art may manufacture and use the same.

In the drawings, 1 represents the bed of the machine, which rests upon suitable legs or supports.

2 represents the die-box frame, in which is the die-box 3. This die-box 3 is formed of two plates of steel set in the frame 2 at an angle of forty-five degrees with the horizontal plane of the machine. In the adjacent or meeting edge of each of these plates is a V-shaped cavity, which forms one-half of the die-cavity or diebox. The two plates are held together firmly in the die-box frame by two screws, 4.

In the front side of the die-box frame 2 is a groove, 48, which leads from the die-box 3 to the top of theframe. On one side of this groove 43, above the die-box, is a stop, 30, fastened to the die-box.frame,and on the other side of the groove, above the die-box, a steel plate, 44, is

secured to the frame. The edge of this plate is square or right-angled, and is on a line with and corresponds to the edge of the groove 43. This plate 44 serves as a stationary cutter.

In front of the die-box is the trontor top die, 6, the face of which is concave, so as to form the washer-face of the nut. Through the center of the die 6 passes ahole, 7, through which the core from the punch is forced.

On top of the die 6 is the cutter b, the face of which is about of the same size as that of the die6. This cutter is shorter than thedie 6, the distance from the face of the cutter to the face of the die being about equal to the length of the die-box 3. The die 6and cutterbare firmly attached to the cross-head 9, which slides back and forth in the way 10. This cross-head is connected by rods 11 at each side of the machine with the yokes 12. Inside of each of these yokes is a cam, 14. Attached to the outside of and slightly forward of the rear face of each of these yokes is a shoulder, 35.

Against the outer side of each of the cams 14 is another cam, 13. These cams 13 and 14 are keyed to the main shaft 15.

On the opposite side of the diebox frame from the front die,6,is the inner or bottom die, 16, which has a plane face larger than the opening of the die-box. The object of forming the bottom die, 16, larger than the die-box, so as to close the same instead of entering it, is to avoid the formation of a tin upon the face or bearing-surface. of the nut. This die is secured in and carried bythe carriage 17, which slides back and forth in the track or way 18, and is moved by means of the two cams 19, which are keyed to the main shaft 15 between the cams 14-. Passing through the inner or bottom die, 16, is the punch 26, which is held in and carried by the carriage 21, which slides between the timbers 22 ot' the carriage 17, and is moved by the cam 23, which is key ed to the main shaft 15 between the cams 19.

Pivoted to a stanchion on the frame of the machine, as at 24, is alever, 25, the larger end of which rests and rides upon the main shaft 15 close to the cam 19, on which cam is a projection or pin, 26, which passes under and raises the larger end of the lever 25. To the other end of this lever, over and on a line with the front opening ofthe die-box 3, is hinged or pivoted a plunger, 27, which travels in the groove 43 in the die-box frame 2.

Between the lever 25 and the upper end of the plunger 27, above the point where it is pivoted to the lever, is a spring, 28, which presses the upper end of the plunger away from the lever, and thereby causes the lower end of the plunger to remain in the groove 43.

At one side of the die-box 3, on the frame 1, is formed a rest, 29, over which the bar-iron is fed against the stop 30. This rest 29 and the stop are 011 the same horizontal plane as the cutters 8 and 44, above the plane of the dies 6 and 16 and the die-box 3.

Power is applied to the main shaft 15 by the batntwlreel 31, or by other suitable powerconnection.

On the inner sides of the two cams 19 are two pins, 26 and 32, which catch upon shoulders 33 on the carriage 21, so as to retract the carriage and give the return movement to the punch.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The heated bar-iron is fed over the rest 29 against the stop 39. The cams 13, coming in contact with the face of the shoulders on the yokes 12, cause the movable cutter S to advance and cut a blank from the bar of iron against the stationary cutter 44. This blank is about the size of the die-box 3. The cams 14, then bearing against the forward faces of the yokes 12, cause the cutter S to retire, leaving the blank between the stop 30 and cutter 44. The pin 26 then strikes against and raises the end of the lever 25, which causes the plunger 27 at the other end of the lever 25 to descend in the groove 43 and push the blank down directly in front of the die-box 3. The pin 26 passes from under the end of the lever 25, which drops by its own weight, and the plunger 27 rises to its original position. The cams 14, then coming in contact with the rear faces, 37, oftheyokes 12, cause the frontdie, 6,110 advance and force the blank into the die-box 3. At the same time the cams 19, bearing against the carriage 17, cause the inner or bottom die, 16, to advance against and close the rear opening of the die-box 3, and at the same time the cam 23, coming in contact with the carriage 21, causes the punch to advance through the die 16 into the die-box. The cam 23 being larger than the cams 19, the punch 20 has a more rapid motion and advances farther than the die 16, which die presses against the outside of, but does not enter, the die-box 3. By these motions the blank is pressed in the diehox between the two dies 6 and 16, and the punch 20 punches a hole through the nut.

Attached to the frame 1, and to the carriage 17 of the inner die, is a spring, 36, which causes the carriage 17 to return to its original position as soon as the cams 19 have ceased to press against it. At the same time the punch 20 is caused to retire by the pins 26 and 32 coming in contact with the shoulders 33 on the carriage 21. At the same time the cams 13 bear against the faces of the shoulders 35 011 the yokes 12 and give a second advance to the front or top die, 6, so as to discharge the nut from the die-box, and also give motion to the movable cutter 8, as already described, and the operation is continued as before.

The die-box is formed by making a V-shaped cavity in two metal plates at their joining or adjacent edges and placing the plates in the frame at an angle of forty-five degrees, so that the two V-shaped cavities will together form the square die-box, while in the old machines the recess formedin each plate has been in the form of the half of a square, or the die-box has been formed of four plates. The die-box,

, die-box are planed or cut the size of the box is increased accordingly, and it has therefore been necessary to insert new plates in the frame when the'die-box became worn or imperfect.

In that form of nut-machine where the bot tom die enters the die-box and compresses the nut therein there is always a tendency of the metal to spread between the die-box and the sides of the bottom die, thus forming a fin upon or cupping the bearing-surface of the nut, whereas by causing the bottom die, 16, to close the die-box the nut must be formed with a smooth bearing-surface devoid of fin. There is little or no danger of the formation of a lateral fin, as the metal does not tend to spread in that direction.

When it is desired to manufacture hexagonal nuts on. my machine, the die-box frame 2 is removed and a die-box frame, 41, having a hexagonal die-box, 42, is placedin the frame of the machine, the movable cutter 8 is removed from the cross-head 9, and the feedguide and stationary cutter 38 is attached to the frame 1 in front of the die-box frame 41.

This feed-guide and cutter 38 consists of a ring of steel fastened in a suitable bar or plate by a screw, 39,which bar or plate is bolted to the frame of the machine or fastened thereto in any other suitable manner. The plunger 27 is removed from the lever 25, and a cutter, 40, havin g'a concave face, is attached to the lever in lieu thereof. The face of this cutter is made concave, so as to fit ovr the round bar of iron as itis fed through the feed-guide and cutter 38.

The operation is as follows: The heated bar of round iron is fed through the stationary cutter 38 into the groove in the die-box frame 41. The pin 26 on the cam 19 comes in contact with and raises the end of the lever 25, causing the movable cutter 40 to descend, cut a blank from the bar against the edge of the cutter 38, and carry the blank in front of the die-box. The cams 14 then bear against the rear faces of the yokes l2 and cause the front die, 6, to advance, and at the same time the punch and inner die are caused to advance and then retire when the nut is formed. The nut is then discharged from the die-box, as before described, and the operation is repeated.

The round iron is cut by the cutters trans shape of the die-box, and consequently there is absolutely no waste of material, excepting the core forced out by the punch and the flash caused by the same, while heretofore, in the manufacture of hexagonal nuts in the machines in general use, at least one -third of the iron has been wasted or reduced to scrap.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a nut-machine, the combination, in a die box, of adjustable plates, the adjacent or meeting edges of said plates having V-shaped notches, which notches form the cavity of the die-box when the edges of the plate are brought in contact, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a nutmachine, the combination of a die-box frame having a groove or channel leading to the die-box, a gage-stop arranged on one side of the groove or channel, above the plane of the die-box, a cutter attached to the die-box frame and arranged opposite the gagestop, and a movable cutter attached to the front or top die and reciprocating in the same plane as the fixed cutter.

3. The combination, in a nut-machine, of the die-box, the die-box frame, having a channel or groove, 43, leading to the die box, a plunger adapted to move in the groove or channel of the die-box frame, the stop 34 to.arrest the blank in front of the die box, the top die, 6, and the bottom die, 16, with punch 20 working through the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a nut-machine, the combination, with the die box, of a reciprocating bottom die of greater diameter than and adapted to close the die-box, a punch arranged in and adapted to reciprocate with and through the bottom die, a reciprocating top die, and mechanism, substantially as specified, whereby the top and bottom dies are caused first to approach and compress the nut in the diebox, and the top die is then caused to continue its advance and discharge the nut as the bottom die retires, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a nut-machine, the combination, with the die box, of the top die, 6, cross head 9, yokes 12, with shoulders 35, and cams 13 and 14, for operating the top die, the bottom die, 16, carriage 17, cams l9, and springs 36, for actuating the bottom die, and the punch 20, carriage 21, with shoulders 33, cam 23, and pins 26 and 32, for actuating the punch, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES LOWRY.

\Vitnesses J AlVIES K. BAKEWELL, JAMES H. PORTE. 

